Variable surge chamber and/or accumulator



Sept. 30, 1958 J. w. BALLARD ETAL 2,854,028

VARIABLE SURGE CHAMBER AND/OR ACCUMULATOR Original Filed Feb. 24, 1953 lllllllll.

IN VEN TOR. JAMES W. BALLARD BY HYMAN BRIER 7mgmw ATTORNEYS United States Patent VARIABLE SURGE CHAMBER AND/ OR ACCUMULATOR James W. Ballard, Miamisburg, and Hyman Brier, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Commonwealth Engineer- Company of Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Original application February 24, 1953, Serial No.

338,382, now Patent No. 2,724,411, dated November 22, 1955. Divided and this application September 29,

1955, Serial No. 537,331

6 Claims. (Cl. 138-30) This invention relates to devices for regulating characteristics of fluid flow and is particularly directed to structures which regulate the vibratory effects within the fluid system.

Fluid flow systems similarly to electrical systems exhibit properties of resistance, capacitance and inertance (inductance). While in any given fluid flow the resistance may partially be disregarded, the capacitance and inertance effects and the relative values thereof control the period of vibrations of the fluid of the system.

Inertance is a function of such elements as orifices, valves and reducers and is susceptible of quick and accurate control only with some difliculty. The capacitive property however is readily subject to variation and affords a means of fluid control either to induce or repress vibration action in the system.

It is accordingly within the contemplation of this invention to provide novel means for the control of the characteristics of fluid flow systems, which means are actuable 'primarily to effect variations in the capacitance of the system.

It is also within the contemplation of this invention to provide an accumulator or surge chamber means for the control of the characteristics of a fluid system, which means are actuable to induce inductive as well as capacitative effects into the system.

The various embodiments of the invention described hereinafter incorporate a resilient deformable body which defines a chamber and is connectible into a fluid flow system; means are provided for progressively resiliently deforming this body and for securing the body in a deformed state.

The deformation action occasions a change in the volumetric capacity and accordingly the capacitance of the chamber and of the system as a whole. Thereby it becomes possible to either set up or repress the wave motion characteristics of fluid flowing in the system. For example, where a system is normally subject to flow vibrations which cause excessive and undesirable vibration effects, the introduction of the unit of invention into the system facilitates removal of the objectionable vibratory features of the system.

The change in capacitance in some of the hereinafter described embodiments is accompanied by a change in the inductive characteristics of the system and the quantitative relationship of the inductive change to the capacitance change may be controlled by selecting the tubular, resilient and deformable body in a manner which will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

The foregoing objects and the structural mode of operation will become more apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partially in cross section illustrating one embodiment of the accumulator of invention and including a clamping structure for retaining the accumulator positioned;

2,854,028 Patented Sept. 30, 1958 Figure 2 is a view partly in cross section illustrating a further embodiment of the accumulator of invention;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 illustrates a further modification of the clamping structure of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure lthere is shown an accumulator or surge chamber comprising a housing 1 having a fluid passage 3 and ports 5, 7 for connection to a fluid line. The housing 1 is preferably formed in two equal halves and in the assembled position thereof shown in Figure 1 the housing defines a central cavity 9 from which a series of openings 11 extend to the other side of the housing. The housing 1 is recessed at 13 and provided with a collar 15 which securely engages a lower end portion of a heavy rubber tubing 17. Tubing 17 is resiliently deformable and as shown is tiwsted to define a lower spacing 16 and an upper spacing 18 connected by a constricted passage 20.

A disc 19 is rotatably mounted in a recess at the upper end of cavity 9 and is provided with a depending flange 21 to which the upper end of rubber tubing or resiliently deformable body 17 is vulcanized. Body 17 may be secured to the disc 19 in any suitable manner as by rivets, etc.

A shaft 23 secured as at 25 to the disc 19 for rotation therewith, passes rotatably through the upper end of housing 1. The shaft 23 has secured thereto at 27 the end of a spiral torsion or scroll spring 29. The spring 29 is mounted above a plate 31 which is rotatable with the shaft 23; housing 1 is provided at 33 with a pin to which the other end of the spring 29 is secured.

The plate 31 is provided with ratchet teeth 35 which engage with the stop member 37. The stop member 37 comprises a fork member 39 which is mounted on a slidable shaft 41 carried in up-standing member 43. The up-standing member 43 is secured to the housing by bolts as at 45. The fork member 39 is biased towards the plate by spring 47. The shaft 41 passes through an aperture in the member 43 and the motion of the shaft is limited by stop 49. V v

The structural arrangement described is advantageous in that it permits the adjustment of the chamber volume to any increment within a narrow range by simply winding the spring and allowing the spring stop to come into position on one of the ratchet teeth. It is to be particularly noted that any pressure increase in the chamber can only force the ratchet teeth more rigidly against the spring stop, and accordingly the structure set out is very positive in action.

.Referring now to Figure 2 and a further embodiment of the accumulator of invention there is shown a housing 51 having a shaft 53 rotatably mounted in an upper portion thereof and fixed against rectilineal movement by collar 55 is provided with an externally screw thread 57 and passes through a nut 59 mounted on a support 61.

The support 61 at one end thereof is provided with side guides 63 which pass overa way 65. The other end of the support 61 is provided with spaced arms 66 between which there is journaled a steel roller 67 on pin 68. The steel roller compressively engages an elongated resiliently deformable plastic tubing 69 which is fixedly secured to wall 71 of the housing 51. The tubing 69 defines an interior chamber having a lower spacing 73 and an upper spacing 74 connected by a constricted passage 79 occasioned by the pressured engagement of the roller 67 with the body 69.

The housing 51 is provided with a port 75 which opens into the spacing 73, while the upper end of the housing is provided with a passage 77 extending from the upper carrying-with it the roller.. 67. I This arrangement permits the capacity ofthe. spacings-71am.- 74--. and? hence the characteristics of the tubing 69 to be varied.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is illustrated. amo'dification of the clamping structure of. Figure-- land which structure. is. particularly; usefulsimconnection with the accumulator. of- Figure. 1. The-:clarnping, structure of Figure. 4 is similar. to.that .of-:Figure -1 but incorporates.

a feature which permitssof automatic control: of ithe' volumetric content of the chamber defined by the: resiliently deformable-body.

Thus, in.Figure.4:thesame numeralsare utilized as in Figure. 1, but primed, and in addition there is provided a-pawl 81. forengagementwith the.ratchet teeth, suchpawl being mounted uponnan arm 83 pivoted at 84 and which. arm vhas secured thereto a spring 85 which normally causes-engagementoftthe pawlwith the ratchet teeth 35.

A plunger. 87 cntacts:the arm-83 and fluid pressure passing from the system into a by-pass line 89actuates the plunger whensthe. pressurerwithin the system rises unduly high; actuation of-the plunger 87 causes the arm '83 and. pawl 81.to move. away from: the ratchet 35, thus permitting the ratchet to rotate under the influence of the pressureto increase the volumetriccontent of the chamber. Suchaction. further tensions the scroll spring also.

When pressure .intthesystem again falls the'scroll spring rotate'sthe shaft 23'. and such action will occasion a decrease in volume of-the chamber, .asin. Figure 1, to-its original value. Pawl 81 will be. brought back into engagement with the ratchet when the restoring force of the spring 85 exceeds the action of' the plunger and this limits .the rotation occasioned by the scroll spring.

This application :isa divisiontof application Serial No.

338,382, filedFebruary 24, .1953; and assigned-to the same assignee asthe present invention.

It will .be understood thattthisinvention is susceptible; to. modification .inorder to adaptit to different usages and. conditions. and accordingly; ,it-is' desired to compre hend such modifications within this invention as mayfall within the scope of the appended-claims.

We claim:-

1. In combination.withawariable volume accumulator actuable to produce volume variation in the accumulater by movement of a shaftina housing supporting the accumulator, the said shaft beingsecured to. a volume variable element of the accumulator, a scroll spring secured between said shaft andhousing and operable to bias the said shaft in one rotational direction, a ratchet on said shaft, and a stop member engageable with said ratchet whereby upon engagement of said stop member ment'of-the shaft, a scrolL- spring secured between"said shaft and housing,- a: ratchet carried on said 'sh'aft', a pawl supported from thehousing', and means for biasingsaid pawl into engagement with said ratchet to prevent rotation of said 'shaftin-ionedirectiom 3. An accumulator for hydraulic systems comprising a housing, aitwistedtubular; resiliently deformable body in said housing defining a limit ofa'ch'amber, means for passing fluid into andout' of 'saidchamber, and means in said housing engageable with said body and actuable to vary 1 the twist in-tho bbdyz-toivary the chamber'volurn'e.

4. An. accumulator for hydraulic-systems comprising a housing, a twisted-tubular, resiliently deformable bodyin said housing defining a chamber, means for passing, fluid into and out of. said Echamber, said body having upper and lower portions defiuingqconnecting chamber spacings, the lower portion being: secured against rotation with respect to said housing and. the upper portion beingrotatable: with respectthereto; and means in said housing secured to: said uppjeri portion; to effect rotation thereof for deformatiomofi saidbody towvary the capacity of said-spacings;

ing-upper-and lowerportions defining interior chamber spacings,.meansv for; passing? fluid into. and i out oft sai'd chambenand means cooperabletwithxthe tubular body'to exert a-deformingcstress' thereonr'to vary the volumetrio capacity of said chamber spacings.

6. accumulator: for: hydraulic 1 systems comprising a housing, a shaft rotatably 'journaled in 'thehousing; an elongated: tubularr resiliently: deformable: body in: the housinggdefining a-Qchamber and secured to. the shaft -and deformable upon rotation of thershaft; means fonpassing:

fluid intor-and :out i of: said chamber; and -one-end of said body; beingtlxedly; secured. to. said housing:

References Citede-in 'the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 1,598,833 Viola. Sept, 7, 1926 2401,7927 Overbeke June 11, 1946 2,439,053 Moore Apr. 6, 1948.- 2,'630,834 Weber et all Mar. 10, 1953' 

